COPD Store

Cory Luckner

Recent Posts

What starts off as a simple cold or even mild flu can land a person with COPD in the hospital and can take months to recover from. Stay healthy this cold and flu season by giving your immune system health a boost! Not only will your chance of getting sick go down, you’ll have more vitality and feel better in general.

Often COPD is regarded as a “smoker’s disease”, with most of the population believing that those with COPD knowingly engaged in risky behavior that resulted in their illness. It’s not just the general population that holds this belief, it is often physicians as well. It’s this problem that led to our next Share Your Story participant, Carol Anderson, to have undiagnosed COPD for more than a decade even after visiting 15 to 20 different doctors.

Just because you have a COPD diagnosis doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy your favorite hobbies and activities any longer. Unfortunately the symptoms of COPD, such as shortness of breath, excess mucus production, and fatigue frequently prevent patients just like you from doing their most enjoyed hobbies.

But by looking at your favorite hobbies as a fond memory that you are no longer able to do, you are increasing your risk of developing mental health conditions, specifically depression.

Sure COPD and its related symptoms can prevent you from doing everything you once enjoyed, but it certainly doesn’t mean all hobbies are out of the question.

As I left the monthly COPD Support Group last Thursday that takes place at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, I couldn’t stop thinking about this particular quote: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” -Maya Angelou

How is life measured for the millions of people around the world who suffer from COPD, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder?

What becomes the motto of their lives? Perhaps it’s something as profoundly simple as, “Just breathe.”

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” - Plato

Last week we talked about pulmonary exercise and how important it is to work out your lungs by doing exercises such as Pursed-Lip Breathing and Diaphragm Breathing. This week I traveled to Austin, Texas—proudly known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” I met several talented musicians and asked one, “How are you able to play the saxophone for such extended periods of time without getting dizzy?” He told me he spent many years mastering the “art of breathing.”

When diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA) or complex sleep apnea, you may be confused on the differences and benefits of a CPAP, BiPAP, Auto-CPAP, VPAP, and ASV device. Depending on your diagnosis different machines will be more beneficial than another. After this you will be equipped with the knowledge to make the most informed purchasing decision according to your prescription so you can enjoy the highest level of sleep apnea treatment quality. Remember to always follow your prescription, as a CPAP prescription won’t work for a BiPAP prescription and vice versa.

Welcome to the first installment of our Helping Heroes nomination as apart of Military Appreciation Month and our Helping Heroes Fund. The donations received to our Helping Heroes fund will all be used to give oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, home health items or mobility aids to our brave service men and women. These are nominations from soldiers, friends or family members of current or former active duty service men and women. These brave soldiers put there lives on the line in the name of freedom, and this is just a small token of appreciation for their brave service. This segment is about Army veteran Kent Snead who was nominated by Denise.

In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, 1st Class Medical has teamed up with the COPD store to launch The Helping Heroes Fund to provide portable oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, mobility aids and other necessary equipment to active duty soldiers, veterans, and veteran’s organizations. We have set up a GoFundMe Account to accept donations and a portion of all accessory sales in June will go to this fund. You can go to www.COPDStore.com and click on the Helping Heroes nomination link on the top right to nominate a person or organization that you think could benefit from one of these products. Winners will be announced on July 4th.

Today's helping heroes nominee is James Travis, a dedicated and hard working Marine Corps veteran. Help James and other veterans just like him who are struggling with respiratory problems receive the treatment they deserve by donating to our Helping Heroes GoFundMe page anytime between now and July 4th. All the funds raised will be used to give veterans, active duty soldiers and veterans organizations nebulizers, oxygen concentrators, home health aids and mobility devices to help provide them with the highest quality of life possible! With all the hard work and dedication veterans like James Travis have done to protect our freedom, helping them live a high quality of life back home by donating is just a small token of appreciation.